Privacy Policy

Serenity Dental is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information and health information we collect while providing dental care and responding to website inquiries.

This policy is intended to explain, in plain language, how information is collected, used, disclosed, retained, and protected. It is not legal advice and may be updated as privacy requirements or clinic processes change.

Privacy laws and standards

Serenity Dental is located in Alberta. We handle patient health information in accordance with Alberta's Health Information Act and other applicable Alberta and Canadian privacy laws, including Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act and Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where they apply.

The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) is Ontario legislation. While PHIPA does not generally govern an Alberta dental clinic, we recognize the same core privacy principles behind PHIPA: limiting collection, using information only for appropriate care and administrative purposes, safeguarding records, and respecting patient access and correction rights.

Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with the clinic, we may collect your name, contact details, date of birth, appointment preferences, dental and medical history, insurance or billing information, consent forms, clinical notes, images, radiographs, treatment plans, payment records, and communications with our team.

When you use the website, we may also receive basic technical information such as browser type, device information, pages visited, and information submitted through appointment or contact forms.

How we use information

We use personal and health information to provide dental assessment and treatment, schedule and confirm appointments, communicate with you, coordinate referrals or laboratory work, process insurance and payment information, maintain clinic records, meet professional and legal requirements, and improve clinic operations.

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for these purposes, and our team accesses patient information only when needed for their role.

When information may be shared

We do not sell patient information. We may share information with your consent, with other health professionals involved in your care, with dental laboratories or service providers that support clinic operations, with insurers for claims processing, or where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

If information is shared with third-party service providers, we expect those providers to protect it and use it only for the service they provide to the clinic.

Website forms and electronic communication

Information submitted through our website is used to respond to your request and help coordinate care. Please avoid sending highly sensitive clinical details through a website form or regular email unless our team has specifically asked you to do so.

If you contact us electronically, we may reply using the contact information you provide. Electronic communications can carry privacy risks, and we may recommend a phone call or in-person discussion for sensitive matters.

Service providers and cross-border processing

We may use trusted service providers for website hosting, secure form handling, email, scheduling, analytics, records support, billing, and other clinic operations. Depending on the provider, personal information may be processed or stored in Canada, the United States, or another country outside Canada, where it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction. We take reasonable steps to use providers that safeguard information and limit their use of it to the services they provide to the clinic.

Safeguards

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to help protect patient information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. Access to personal information and health information is limited to team members and service providers who need it for their role or the services they provide to the clinic.

Data retention

Clinical and personal health records are retained for the periods required by applicable Alberta and Canadian privacy laws, professional obligations, and the relevant dental regulator or college. These records may include health histories, consent forms, clinical notes, images, radiographs, treatment plans, billing records, and related communications.

Website form submissions, appointment requests, and general inquiries are retained only as long as reasonably needed to respond to the inquiry, coordinate care or administration, document the request, and meet legal, professional, or business-record requirements. If a website inquiry becomes part of a patient record, relevant information may be transferred to the clinic record and retained according to the clinical-record rules that apply there.

Log, analytics, security, and website-performance data are retained for limited periods appropriate to operate, protect, troubleshoot, and improve the website and related systems, unless a longer period is required to investigate security issues, comply with legal obligations, or protect the clinic's rights.

Data deletion and disposal

When personal information is no longer needed for the purposes described in this policy, and no longer needs to be retained for legal, professional, regulatory, insurance, or administrative reasons, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy, delete, anonymize, or de-identify it. Paper records, electronic files, backups, and service-provider records may follow different disposal timelines depending on how they are stored and the rules that apply.

Access, corrections, deletion requests, and questions

You may ask to access or correct personal information in your patient record, subject to legal and professional limits. You may also ask about deletion of information where deletion is legally and professionally permitted. We may need to verify your identity before releasing records, making changes, or responding to deletion-related requests.

For privacy questions, access or correction requests, or concerns about how information has been handled, please contact the Serenity Dental Privacy Officer, Dr. Jas Tuli, at (780) 929-4138 or [email protected].